Challenge
by by7the7sea
Summary: A challenge issued to me by anonyreaderfan to write a John and Charlotte/Charlie story. Not sure if this is what was intended but it's the best I could come up with.
1. Chapter 1 - Prelude

Author's Note: _~ "text" ~_ = Telepathy

Disclaimer: The Tomorrow People is the property of the CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

xxx TTP xxx

It was supposed to be a quick, easy trip to get a few supplies that had unexpectedly run out. John volunteered himself and Charlotte for the job. Charlotte didn't like the idea. She preferred to stay in the Lair. John wanted her to get outside for a little bit, get some fresh air. Charlotte still wasn't all that excited about it until John offered to get her some ice cream as a special treat. Then she eagerly agreed to the task.

They stopped to get the ice cream on the way, since it would be much easier to eat with nothing in their hands. Waiting in line, John noticed something suspicious down the street. Recalling his days as an Ultra agent, it looked like one of Ultra's retrieval missions. He tried not to act too alarmed so as not to worry Charlie. The situation was not out of his control ... yet.

_~ "Cara, are you picking up any new break outs near us?" ~_ He tried to calmly telepathically send. He grabbed Charlie's hand and smiled at her. "What's your favorite flavor, Charlie?"

_~ "Nothing unusual, but I've been busy," ~_ Cara replied. _~ "Why?" ~_

"I'm not sure," Charlie said, as she was checking out the available flavors. "It's been a long time since I've had ice cream."

"Just let them know which one you would like to try and they will let you taste it," John advised then replied to Cara. _~ "It's probably nothing, but it looks like Ultra may be moving in on someone ... I may have imagined it." ~_ He was hoping he had imagined it.

"TIM, bring up live footage from John's location," Cara said.

"I am sorry Cara, there seems to be some interference and I am not able to comply with your request."

_~ "John, you need to get out of there now!" ~_ Cara started to panic.

"Come on, Charlie, a little change in plans," John said as he turned and started to walk away from the agents he had spotted.

John couldn't believe it. He was finally able to get Charlie out of the Lair and they get caught up in one of Ultra's sweeps? If they got caught, he would never forgive himself. Driving those thoughts out of his mind, he concentrated on getting out of there. Mentally going through a checklist of possible escape routes. There were a lot of people around, so that would slow down Ultra, but it also meant they couldn't just teleport to safety.

"John, what's going on?" Charlie had noticed how his mood had changed and was starting to worry.

"Hopefully nothing, but stay alert," John replied. He kneeled down to look her in the eye and said, "Don't worry, I'll take care of you."

"I know," she said and smiled at him. She trusted him completely. Whatever was going on, she knew John would find a way out.

xxx TTP xxx

Meanwhile, back at the Lair, Cara tried to find out what was happening. Her attempts to contact Stephen failed to go through ... he was either ignoring her or deep within Ultra.

"TIM, pull up anything you can from that area ... up to the point the interference started. At that point, find whatever you can outside that area."

"I will do my best," TIM replied.

xxx TTP xxx

As John and Charlotte made their way through the crowd, John stayed alert and focused. He noticed the agents seemed to be following them. When they would go right, the agents veered right. This was not good, not good at all. It was just as John had figured. Ultra was on a retrieval mission, seemingly for them.

Surveying the area to find a place to get out of sight, he weighed his options. Which would provide better cover for an opportunity to teleport away ... the city buildings or Central Park?

Walking along the edge of Central Park, a teenager on a bike was showing off for some girls and lost control right in front of John and Charlotte. When John jumped to avoid him, he and Charlotte tumbled over a small but steep hill. Charlotte landed on top of John, who had landed on his right side. He tried to ignore the crack he heard as they stopped at the bottom of the hill. Charlotte jumped up right away unharmed. John tried to push himself up with his right arm and screamed in agony rolling over and clutching it with his left hand.

"John, what's wrong?" Charlotte immediately knelt down beside him.

"My arm," he responded through gritted teeth. "I think it might be broken."


	2. Chapter 2 - Dilemma

Disclaimer: The Tomorrow People is the Property of the CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

xxx TTP xxx

"Cara, I may have found something," TIM stated. "Putting it on the screen now."

Cara watched the screen. "What is this?"

TIM was playing video surveillance of John and Charlotte walking out of the subway station and heading toward Central Park.

"It appears that Ultra has increased their efforts in capturing John. Notice the hot dog vendor on the left."

TIM replayed the video. Cara kept an eye on the vendor this time. As John and Charlotte walked by, she could see the vendor recognize John and then grab his cell phone to make a call. It was a quick call and, shortly thereafter, the vendor closed up his cart and followed John and Charlotte.

xxx TTP xxx

Back in Central Park, Charlie helped John get to his feet.

"John, what's going on?" Charlotte was worried. "It's Ultra, isn't it?"

"Yes, Charlie," he sadly responded. "They are here."

With his injury, John knew teleporting was definitely out of the question. Now, they just had to find a safe place where Charlotte could teleport out and Cara or Russell could teleport in and help him.

xxx TTP xxx

The three agents who were following them stopped when they realized John and Charlotte had disappeared. They were about 30 feet away and had been distracted by a couple of teenagers showing off their skateboarding moves.

"Are there any teleport signatures from this location within the last 10 minutes," Agent Jones radioed Ultra Headquarters. After a few moments he received a response. "Right, okay." He turned to the other two.

"They are still in the area and must be near by. HQ is sending more agents to establish a perimeter.

"Simmons, you proceed around the North side of the park. Miller, you take the South side. I'll go in from here to see if I can spot them."

xxx TTP xxx

John thought for sure they would be captured once they fell over the edge, but since no one was coming, it gave them an opportunity to get away.

He quickly assessed their surroundings and noticed a huge rock, more like a boulder, with bushes bordering it a few feet away. It was just what they needed, a temporary shelter.

"Charlie, do you see that boulder just over there?" John pointed toward the rock.

"Yes."

"We need to get to it as quickly as possible. You go ahead and run over and duck down behind those bushes."

"Okay," Charlie said then took off running.

She was quick and John didn't see anybody take notice of her. He tried to run, but had to stop after a few steps. The movement caused a shooting pain through his arm.

Charlie was watching him through the bushes and made a move to help him. He noticed it and shook his head no.

~ "Stay there, I'll be right over" ~ John sent to her.

~ "Are you sure?" ~ Charlie responded.

~ "Yes." ~ John insisted. ~ "Actually, you're out of sight, go ahead and get back to the Lair." ~

~ "No, I won't leave until you are safe too" ~ Charlie defiantly replied.

~ "Charlie ..." ~ He started to say and looked up. He saw the determination in her face and sighed.

xxx TTP xxx

Agent Jones made his way over to the edge of the park. As he looked around, he noticed the grass was tamped down a bit in one section, as if someone had recently disturbed it. He went right to that section of grass and carefully made his way down the steep incline. Once he reached the bottom, he looked around and spotted John.

xxx TTP xxx

John started to walk over to where Charlie was hiding. The pain was still radiating through his arm, but wasn't as bad as when he tried to run. He felt he should be able to make it over to the bushes.

xxx TTP xxx

Back in the Lair, Cara tried to put together a plan to help John and Charlie.

~ "Russell, get in here, now!" ~ Cara sent.

~ "Where are you?" ~ Russell replied.

~ "Where am I usually?" ~

~ "Hey, I want nothing to do with you and John ..." ~

~ "We don't have time for this, Russell." ~ Cara interrupted. ~ "John and Charlie are in danger. Ultra is pursuing them as we speak." ~

Russell teleported into TIM's room immediately.

"What's the plan, boss?" he said urgently, as he approached Cara.


	3. Chapter 3 - In the crosshairs

Author's Note:

~ "text" ~ indicates telepathy

_Italicized text_ are thoughts.

**xxx TTP xxx**

Charlie watched from her hidden spot in the bushes as John slowly walked over. When John had to stop again because the pain was too much, she noticed someone just behind him.

~ "John, look out behind you!" ~ She frantically sent to him, but it was too late. The man grabbed John by his injured arm and spun him around. John, in agony, fell to his knees.

"No!" Charlie yelled. She wanted to run over and help him, but was afraid. Remembering one of John's lessons, she took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. John had told her _"Staying calm will help you focus."_

_"Okay, there must be something I can do ... can't use my powers too many people around. Unless ... "_

**xxx TTP xxx**

"Well, well, well ... if it isn't the infamous John Young," Agent Jones said. "Not sure I believe all the stories I've heard about you. Right now, you're not really living up to the hype."

John couldn't respond. The pain in his arm was almost too much for him to bear. He felt as though he might pass out, but fought to stay conscious. He needed to stay alert so he would be able to protect Charlie.

"What ... do you ... want," John struggled to say.

"Why you, of course," the agent replied. "We'll take your little friend too. Where did she go?" Agent Jones scanned the area, "She couldn't have gotten very far. We know she didn't teleport."

At that very moment, Agent Jones suddenly released John's arm and fell to his knees clutching his head. John couldn't believe it. He looked over and saw Charlotte screaming. Well, it looked like she was screaming, but he didn't hear anything. He only considered it for another second before getting up and running as best he could. He tried to ignore his throbbing arm. He had to get away from the agent.

When John reached Charlotte, he put his good arm around her shoulders and started to walk with her.

"Good job, Charlie," he said quickly. "Now we have to get out of here."

Once John turned her around, she stopped the mental scream and quickly checked to see what had happened. Agent Jones was passed out on the ground, and John was leading her away from the area and toward a busier part of the park.

Ultra would have to work harder to take them if there were a lot of people around. As long as they just sent agents, it would be more difficult. But if they decided to send the Alpha squad, then all bets were off. He didn't think Ultra would go that far ... yet. At least he was hoping they wouldn't.

"It worked," Charlotte said quietly then smiled, encouraged by what she was able to accomplish.

"What was that?" John asked looking down at her.

"It worked," Charlotte repeated a bit louder so John could hear her. "I remembered what you always tell me about focusing. I got so scared when he grabbed you, but then took a moment to focus."

"I'm glad somebody's been listening to me," John tried for some levity. He was still in pain and on guard, but, again, trying to keep Charlotte calm.

**xxx TTP xxx**

Russell and Cara were looking at a map of the city that TIM had displayed.

"Okay, I know John would have gone this way," Cara said as she pointed out the route on the map. "He was going to get Charlotte some ice cream, so he would have made this little detour to the park to find a vendor. And that's where Ultra caught up to them."

"Right, so now what?" Russell responded.

"TIM, are you able to get anything from Central Park yet?" Cara asked.

"One moment … ," TIM replied. "No, there is still quite a bit of interference."

"Good, that would indicate they haven't been captured yet." Russell said encouragingly. "If they had been captured, there wouldn't be a need for any interference."

**xxx TTP xxx**

"No sign of them, Agent Jones," Agent Simmons reported into his bluetooth. "Have you spotted anything yet?"

Silence greeted him.

"Agent Jones?" He tried one more time. Still nothing.

"Agent Miller, have you reported to Jones recently?" said Simmons, switching lines.

"Not yet. Why?" Miller responded.

"I just tried contacting him and he didn't respond," Simmons remarked. "Keep your eyes open for Young and the girl he was with, but make your way back to where we last saw Jones. I'll contact HQ to find out the status of the perimeter they were setting up."

**xxx TTP xxx**

Realizing he needed to tend to his arm, John started looking for a safe place to stop.

~ "John, can you hear me?" ~ Cara sent urgently. ~ "What's happening?" ~

~ "Nothing much, just taking a walk in the park." ~ He responded somewhat glibly. ~ "Oh, except for Ultra trying to take me in and my arm possibly being broken." ~

~ "What?! What happened to your arm?" ~ Cara struggled to remain calm and to keep herself from just teleporting directly to him.

~ "Is there anything going on at the park today that might be of some use?" ~ John asked, deliberately avoiding having to answer her question.

"TIM, are there any big events today at Central Park?" Cara asked the AI.

"Why yes. There is a concert by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra starting in half an hour," TIM replied. "I've always wanted to hear a live orchestral performance. It would be quite sublime."

~ "John, there is a concert starting in half hour. Make your way toward it and try to blend into the crowd, if you can." ~

~ "Copy that." ~ John replied.

"This way, Charlie." John guided her toward the concert pavilion. "Keep alert. A big show will be starting soon, so there will be a lot of people and what does that mean?"

"I don't know," Charlie responded. "What does it mean?"

"Lots of people means Ultra won't do anything to bring attention to us or themselves, so we should be able to lay low for a bit. Maybe come up with some ways of how to get out of this." Then thinking to himself, _"__And, hopefully, take care of this arm. It__'__s getting worse.__"_


	4. Chapter 4 - Setting the stage

Author's Note: ~ "text" ~ indicates telepathy

**xxx TTP xxx**

"Yes, I just heard from HQ," Agent Simmons relayed to Agent Miller. "The perimeter is in place, but not as strong as they would like. There's a concert starting soon, so they couldn't put as many agents into play as they would have otherwise.

"Go ahead and ... " Simmons trailed off because he had found Agent Jones. The man was just regaining consciousness. Simmons ran over to him.

"What happened?" Simmons asked as he offered his hand to pull him up.

"Not sure," Agent Jones said. He was still a bit dazed from Charlotte's mental scream. "I had John, then all of a sudden there was this ... screeching in my head and then I was waking up."

Jones grasped Simmons proffered hand and, with the assist, was able to get to his feet. He wobbled a bit, but was able to steady himself.

"You should go back to HQ and get checked out," Simmons suggested.

"No, I'll be fine," Jones insisted. "Just give me a couple of minutes."

Simmons still had some doubts about that, but radioed Miller to let him know he found Jones and that they needed to re-group. With the perimeter in place, they needed to come up with a new game-plan.

**xxx TTP xxx **

"Okay, there will be a lot of people in Central Park ... more than usual with the concert," Cara said to Russell. "We should be able to ..."

~ "Cara, what's going on?" ~ Stephen suddenly sent to her.

~ "Ultra is closing in on John and Charlotte. They are in Central Park. Where have you been? I've been trying to reach you." ~ Cara replied.

~ "Training. What do you need me to do?" ~

"Be able to what?" Russell said concerned.

"Hold on, Russell," she said quickly. "It's Stephen."

~ "Can you get to Central Park? John and Charlotte are making their way toward the concert pavilion." ~

~ "Sure. My Mom has been wanting to attend one of those Concerts in the Park. She's not working today, so it shouldn't be a problem." ~

~ "Good. She can check John's arm; he thinks it might be broken." ~ Cara responded.

"Stephen's on his way. He's going in as part of the crowd," Cara told Russell. "Central Park will be crawling with Ultra agents, so we need to be on alert. Since their focus will be capturing John, we will set up just outside of the park."

"Ready to act, when needed," Russell added.

"You take Jody and wait around 68th and Columbus Avenue," Cara ordered. "Mike and I will go to Madison and 72nd Street."

~ "Stephen, Mike and I will be on the East side of Central Park, while Russell and Jody will be on the West side to provide any support you may need." ~

**xxx TTP xxx**

As Charlotte and John got closer to the concert pavilion, they encountered more and more people. It was both comforting and painful. Comforting in that the more people there were, the better they could lose themselves in the crowd. Painful because more people meant space became a premium. The closer the quarters, the more people bumped into John and jostled his arm, making him realize something really needed to be done about it.

John spotted what looked like a school group outing with kids Charlotte's age. The group was getting settled in the middle of the concert-goers, so they made their way over to it. He immediately sat down and took a moment to check his arm. If it wasn't broken before the agent had grabbed it, it definitely was now. He looked around to see if there was anything he could use to create a makeshift splint for it. Not finding anything, he braced himself for what could be a long, painful night. He kept his hurt arm as close to his body as possible.

Trying to keep his mind off his injury, he kept alert for the agent that almost caught him, plus the other two he had seen when this all started.

"Are you going to be okay, John?" Charlotte asked tentatively, kneeling beside him.

"Yes, Charlie," John said. "I'll be fine. Just need to lay low and get out of here as soon as possible."

Somewhat comforted by that, Charlotte sat beside him and leaned against his good side. John rested his chin on the top of her head, but kept watch. He would never forgive himself if he let Charlie get re-captured by Ultra. For now, they just needed to bide their time until the concert started. Meanwhile, he tried to come up with a plan to get out of here … or at least a way for Charlie to escape.

**xxx TTP xxx**

As the agents made their way in the direction they believed John went, they heard more and more people.

"What is all this commotion?" Agent Jones wondered.

"There's a concert starting in about 20 minutes," Agent Simmons responded.

"That is probably where John and his little companion went," Jones said decisively. "Come on, we need to make sure all possible escape routes are covered."

The three agents made a beeline for the concert pavilion.

**xxx TTP xxx **

Teleporting to a hidden location near his home, Stephen ran in the front door and yelled for his Mom.

"In the kitchen, honey," she responded. "What's all the excitement?"

"I had some unexpected free time, saw a notice about the concerts in the park series," he said as he came over and kissed her cheek, "then figured why not take the world's best Mom for a lovely afternoon in the park with her favorite son?"

"Oh? Where is Luca," she said looking around then winked at him.

"Ha, ha," Stephen rolled his eyes. "Come on, Mom, what do you say?"

"Well, I was going to do the laundry," she paused and looked at Stephen. She never could resist those puppy-dog-eyes he would give her when he really wanted something. "I suppose that can wait. I'll go get ready."

"Don't take too long, we have five minutes to get out of here, if you want to make it on time." Stephen yelled after her.

"When does it start?" Marla shouted down the steps while she hurried to freshen up.

Stephen looked at his watch and said "In about 15 minutes."

His Mom came running down the stairs, running a comb through her hair. "15 minutes?! We'll never get a seat."

"Don't worry about it. A friend of mine is saving a spot for us," Stephen fibbed a bit. He figured John is the friend ... they just didn't know they were saving a seat. "All ready?"

"Yes," Marla said as she tossed the comb on the nearby table, "let's go."

Stephen offered his arm, she took it and they exited the house.

**xxx TTP xxx **

As Ultra set up the perimeter around the concert, Agents Jones, Simmons and Miller caught up with one of the reinforcements.

"John is traveling with a young girl. She is about 5 ft 4 with long blonde hair," Agent Jones provided the update to the new arrival. "Also, John is injured, so it shouldn't be too hard to locate and capture him. His right arm is most likely broken.

The new arrival relayed the information to the other agents on their communications channel.

"They got lucky when they slipped by us before," Jones said to Miller and Simmons, "but now that we have reinforcements, they will not get by us a second time."

**xxx TTP xxx**

Once Cara and Mike arrived at their assigned spot, Cara sent ~ "John, we are going to get you out of this." ~

~ "How? We're surrounded and I'm injured. It's not looking very good." ~ John replied then looked at Charlie and tried to give her a reassuring smile.

~ "Watch for Stephen. He's bringing his Mom to the concert, he should be there any minute now. He …" ~

John interrupted her. ~ "Cara, just make sure Charlotte gets out of here. We're right next to a school group with kids her age. I'm going to have Charlie leave with them." ~

~ "John, …" ~ Cara tried to interject

~ "I'll be fine … just protect … Charlie." ~ His arm was starting to become inflamed and it was taking it's toll on him.

~ "John, you don't sound too good." ~ Cara tried not to panic.


	5. Chapter 5 - On the move

Author's Note: ~ "text" ~ indicates telepathy

_Italicized text_ indicates thought

**xxx TTP xxx**

Having found a bus stop to wait at, Cara paced back and forth in front of it, while Mike sat on the bench. Cara wanted to just teleport in, get John and teleport out, but knew it was a bad idea. There were too many people and she couldn't risk that kind of exposure.

~ "Stephen, where are you? Are you at the concert yet? John's in bad shape." ~ Cara urgently sent.

~ "Yes, we are almost there." ~ Stephen replied.

**xxx TTP xxx**

Stephen and his Mom had just made it into Central Park, nearing the concert pavilion, when they were stopped.

"Jameson!" Agent Jones commanded as he approached the pair. "What are you doing here?"

"Just taking my Mom to the concert," Stephen responded as he turned and pulled his Mom in front of him to introduce her. "Mom, this is one of my co-workers, Mr. Jones."

"Oh," Jones said. "Pleased to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," Marla replied politely then turned to her son. "Stephen, the concert is about to start, we need to find our seats."

"Right," Stephen said. "Of course. See you later, Mr. Jones."

They quickly passed by the agent, who went back to his post on the edge of the audience. Now it was just a matter of finding John.

~ "John, where are you?" ~ Stephen attempted to reach him.

**xxx TTP xxx**

When the crowd settled down as the music began, Charlotte started to get an uneasy feeling. It was somewhat comforting knowing there were plenty of people around to keep them hidden, but she was sure John's arm needed to be checked out. She didn't like just sitting there doing nothing, not with Ultra so close and John injured. John had kept the broken limb close to his side, but she noticed how he winced whenever he moved it. It must be pretty bad.

John had told her he was just going to lay back and rest a bit. When she turned to look at him, it looked like he had fallen asleep. She shook him, but he didn't wake up. "John!"

~ "Cara, are you there?" ~ Charlotte tried to reach her, not knowing who else to contact.

~ "Yes, Charlotte, what is it?" ~ Cara responded.

~ "John won't wake up. What do I do?" ~ Charlotte was trying to remain calm, strong. She knew panicking would not help their situation.

~ "Hold tight. Look for Stephen. He's on his way and should be there any moment." ~ Cara replied.

Charlotte stood up and started to scan the area, searching for Stephen. Since people were still filing in, she walked over to a little clearing a few feet away.

Cara sent to Stephen ~ "Hurry, John needs help now." ~

Stephen didn't need the prompting because he had just spotted Charlotte. "Come on, Mom, right over here."

"Hi, Charlotte," Stephen said as they approached her. "Mom, this is Charlotte, she's uh ... John's ... little sister. Where is he?" Charlotte smiled at being called John's little sister.

"He's over there," Charlotte pointed to where John was lying. She was relieved that someone who could help finally showed up.

Marla, sensing something was wrong, hurried over to him and noticed his breathing seemed labored. In an attempt to check his pulse, she grabbed his arm and noticed it was swollen. Marla gently removed his jacket to get a better look at the limb. She could definitely tell it was broken even though the bone did not break through the skin.

"What the hell happened to him?" She said looking to her son and Charlotte.

"We fell down a hill," Charlotte told her, "and I landed on top of him. He thought he had broken it, but we weren't able to get it checked before he passed out here."

**xxx TTP xxx**

Ultra agents maintained the perimeter during the concert, scrutinizing the crowd for any sign of John.

**xxx TTP xxx**

Cara had felt Stephen's alarm at seeing John in such a weakened state.

~ "What happened? What's going on, Stephen?" ~ Cara sent.

~ "Not now, Cara. I'll contact you soon." ~ Stephen replied then cut the connection.

"Something's wrong," Cara said to Mike as her pacing intensified. "I can't just stand here doing nothing."

Cara paused for just a moment then made a definitive move toward the park. Mike jumped up and grabbed her arm. "No, Cara. It's too risky. Besides, Stephen will let us know if he needs help."

**xxx TTP xxx **

It was difficult for Marla to find anything to create even a makeshift splint for John's arm. She had to settle for just wrapping it with the extra shirt Stephen was wearing. Marla was thankful for her son's fondness for the layered look. As she worked, John woke up.

"Where am I?" John said then looked around. "Stephen, what are you doing here?"

"Hey," Stephen said. "We're here for the concert."

When John tried to sit up, that's when he finally realized Marla was there and trying to take care of his arm.

"John, you need to go to a hospital to get this arm set properly," Marla told him.

"I can't," John replied, thinking _Ultra is everywhere_. "I need to get out of here ... I just want to go home."

Marla was going to press the issue, but there was something in the look John had given her that pleaded with her not to pursue it any further.

"Mom, I'll take care of it," Stephen said then grabbed John by his good arm and helped him get to his feet. "You stay here with Charlotte, while I try to talk some sense into John."

Marla searched her purse for something to write on and found an old shopping list. Turning it over, she quickly jotted something down and handed it to John.

"Here," Marla said to John. "If you won't go to a hospital, please go here. It's a free clinic that will take care of that arm ... no questions asked."

John nodded and shoved the piece of paper in his jeans pocket. He still had his doubts about going anywhere for medical treatment, but would consider it ... if they got out of this current situation. Still feeling a bit light-headed, he swayed a bit until Stephen steadied him.

"Okay, John, lean on me," Stephen instructed. "Charlotte, stay with my Mom and enjoy the concert. I'll come get you when it's sa ... time to go back home. Come on, John."

Charlotte was going to protest, but Stephen sent ~ "It's okay, I'll take care of John. You watch my Mom. Ultra shouldn't bother you as long as their focus is on him. Let me know if something does happen, okay?" ~

~ "Okay. Be careful." ~ Charlotte replied. She went over to John and carefully gave him a hug. She looked up at him before releasing him from the hug and said "See you soon, big brother," then smiled.

"See you later, Charlie," John replied quietly. "Be good for Mrs. Jameson, okay?" Charlotte nodded then walked over to sit next to Marla, who had already made herself comfortable. After one more glance at John and a little wave goodbye, she turned her attention to the orchestra on stage.

Stephen and John headed toward the closest exit. John, still a bit groggy and weak, had to lean on Stephen for support.

**xxx TTP xxx**

As the orchestra began playing an uptempo favorite, everybody stood up and started clapping along, which helped keep Stephen and John hidden just a little bit longer. They snaked their way through the crowd as best they could.

"Stephen, this place is crawling with Ultra agents," John said. "How do you expect to get past them?"

"Not sure yet, " Stephen responded.

"Oh great," John replied sarcastically. "Jedikiah is going to love this."

"That's it," Stephen said as inspiration struck.

**xxx TTP xxx **

As the music transitioned to a more mellow song, the concert-goers began to sit down.

"There he is," Agent Williams relayed to the other agents as he zoomed in on John and Stephen. "Is that ... it looks like .. Jameson? I think it is. He seems to be half dragging John out. John doesn't appear to be resisting. Odd."

"I see them too," Agent Jones responded. "I'll intercept and see what's going on, everyone else slowly make your way over, keeping any escape routes covered."

**xxx TTP xxx**

John's fears were confirmed when he saw Agent Jones heading their way.

"Stephen, we've got trouble," John whispered. "One of your Ultra buddies is headed this way."

"Yeah, I saw him," Stephen replied. "I've got an idea, play along."

"Jameson, good work," Agent Jones said. "We can take it from here."

"No, no need," Stephen responded quickly. "Uncle Je ... I mean Dr. Price gave me strict orders to take him directly to a car that is waiting to take him back to Ultra."

"What about the girl that was with him," Agent Jones inquired.

"Girl? He was alone when I found him," Stephen said as innocently as he could. "My orders were if I found John, I was to bring him in. There wasn't anything about anybody else.

"Well, we don't want to keep the boss waiting. So, we'll be on our way."

"I'll come along just in case," Agent Jones said. He then motioned for the other agents to trail them. He wasn't going to take any chances of John getting away again.

**xxx TTP xxx**

Once they got out of the park, Stephen and John crossed 5th Avenue, hoping Agent Jones would get stuck in traffic. No such luck. He was slightly delayed, but able to keep up with them.

As they got closer to 72nd Street, John thought he saw Mike pass them. He figured he was imagining things until they heard a commotion behind them. He tried to sneak a peek at what happened, but they had just arrived at 72nd and turned the corner. As they did, John felt someone grab him, turned to see Cara and then noticed that time had stopped.

"What the ..." was about all John could say before Stephen interrupted.

"Hurry, go," Stephen shouted. He gave them a few moments to get out of sight, then restarted time.


	6. Chapter 6 - Turnaround

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **The only medical knowledge I have is from personal experience or TV. Any medical information this contains is intended to move the story along and not for accuracy. This is a work of fiction, so if possible, please just go with the flow. ;)

~ "text" ~ indicates telepathy

_Italicized text_ indicates thoughts

**xxx TTP xxx **

Stephen could hear Agent Jones swearing as the distraction held him up. Mike had tipped over a hot dog vendor. Then, for added effect, gave a little telekinetic push to a passing bicyclist, which caused him to fall onto the vendor creating quite the road block. Agent Jones had to call in the other Ultra agents just to help clear up the mess.

Stephen waited until he didn't hear Agent Jones screaming any more then headed back to 5th Avenue, running into the man as he turned the corner.

"Where's John?" Agent Jones asked.

"Oh, I helped him in the car and they took off already," Stephen said. "See you at the office."

As Stephen walked off, he heard Agent Jones call off the search, sending all the other agents back to headquarters.

~ "Charlotte, John's with Cara now. Russell is nearby. Once you leave the park, contact him and he can make sure you get back to the Lair safely." ~

~ "Got it. Thank you, Stephen." ~ Charlotte replied.

**xxx TTP xxx**

Cara and John were able to find a secluded spot where she could teleport them away from Central Park. Instead of taking him directly to the Lair, they ended up at the noodle shop. Cara had no intention of taking him home until he had been checked by a doctor.

"What are we doing here?" John inquired. "Come on, Cara, let's just get back to the Lair."

"Not until that's taken care of," Cara pointed to his injured arm.

"You know we can't do that," John replied then whispered, "Ultra is everywhere, they will know if I go to the hospital."

"There has to be another option," Cara sat down and looked up at him.

He hated it when she was this stubborn.

"Cara, just take me back to the Lair," John pleaded. He was exhausted, so he carefully sat down trying not to move his arm too much. "I'll be fine."

He winced a bit on that last word. Trying to settle into the booth, he hit his bad arm on the table.

"Clearly," she mocked. He glared at her.

"Just get me some aspirin for the pain," John said. "With that and some rest, I'll be better in no time."

"No, you need to see a doctor," Cara insisted.

John knew she was right. He didn't think it was a good sign that his fingers were becoming numb. Either he was just getting used to the pain or there was something seriously wrong. Reluctantly, he took out the piece of paper Marla had given him and placed it on the table.

"Here," John said as he slid it over to Cara. "Stephen's Mom recommended this place. She said they don't ask questions."

Cara looked at it then stood up.

"Let's go," she commanded as she held out her hand to help him up again.

Still dreading it, he slowly stood up on his own.

"If Ultra catches me this time, I'm blaming you," he quipped.

Cara just grinned as she followed him out of the noodle shop.

**xxx TTP xxx **

Distracted by her concern for John, Charlotte kept fidgeting and could not pay attention to anything going on at the concert. Knowing that he was with Cara, relieved some of her worry, but where were they? Were they able to avoid Ultra? Were they back at the Lair?

"Come on, Charlotte," Marla said as she took the girl's hand. "Let's go."

"What about the concert?" Charlotte asked. "Is it over?"

"No, but it's okay," Marla responded. "Let's get out of here and find out how John is doing."

**xxx TTP xxx**

Russell and Jody were starting to get anxious. They hadn't heard anything and were beginning to wonder if they had been forgotten.

~ "Russell, we're on Central Park Driveway heading to Columbus Circle. Meet us there." ~ Charlotte sent.

~ "Charlotte! Are you and John okay?" ~ Russell replied.

~ "Yes … well I'm fine. Just meet me at Columbus Circle." ~

~ "Okay, we're on our way." ~

"Come on, Jody," Russell said. "We're headed to Columbus Circle to meet Charlotte."

**xxx TTP xxx **

As Marla and Charlotte approached Columbus Circle, Marla stopped when she had an idea.

"Would you like to know if John went to the doctor?" Marla asked.

"Yes!" Charlotte responded emphatically.

"Well, we can swing by the clinic and see if he's been there," Marla said. "It would just be a short detour."

"Hey, Charlotte!" Russell called. "Is that you?"

"Hi, Russell," Charlotte turned to greet him.

"Mrs. Jameson?" Russell had just noticed her. "What are you doing here?"

"Hello, Russell," Marla replied. "Stephen and I ran into Charlotte and John at the concert."

"And ... where is John?" Russell said as he searched for his friend.

"Hopefully, at the doctor's," Marla stated. "John injured his arm pretty bad, so Stephen took him to talk some sense into him. We were just going to head over there to see if he succeeded."

**xxx TTP xxx**

When Agent Jones arrived back at Ultra, he reported directly to Jedikiah, immediately asking about John.

"What are you talking about?" Jedikiah said as he stopped what he was doing. He was looking at the Agent like he had lost his mind.

"A few of us … were … out on an op," Agent Jones was desperately trying to spin this, realizing that the second-in-command had no knowledge of the original mission to bring in John. _"__What was going on here, did the Founder go behind Dr. Price__'__s back?__"_

"Okay, and what does that have to do with John?" Jedikiah was losing his patience.

"Nothing," Agent Jones said quickly, trying to recover. "I … I must be mistaken."

"Yes," Jedikiah approached the agent, stopping just a few feet from him. "Yes, you must be. Come with me."

Jedikiah put an arm around the agent and they left his office. Nobody knows where they went, but that was the last anybody saw of Agent Jones.

**xxx TTP xxx**

When the group arrived, they found Cara sitting in the waiting room.

"Hey, what's everyone doing here?" Cara was startled to see all of them.

"Well, we ran into them," Russell said as he indicated Marla and Charlotte, "in Columbus Circle and, once we found out where they were going, decided to tag along. How's John?"

"Don't know yet, they just took him back," Cara said then turned to Marla. "Thank you for bringing Charlotte, Mrs. Jameson."

"Not a problem," Marla replied. "I knew she would want to be with her big brother."

Before Cara could respond, Charlotte spoke first.

"Yes, I would," Charlotte stated quickly. "He's just about the only family I have, so thanks again, Mrs. Jameson."

"Speaking of family," Marla said as she checked her watch. "I should get back to mine. Please let me know how John is doing. Bye."

As Marla left, Cara turned to Charlotte.

"Big brother?" Cara questioned her.

"Well, that's what Stephen told her and I just went with it," Charlotte replied then grinned.

**xxx TTP xxx**

A few hours later, they were still waiting for John. Cara had sent Jody back to the Lair to let everyone know John was okay. Charlotte had fallen asleep using Cara's lap as a pillow.

Russell was entertaining a little boy by flipping a coin. These weren't just ordinary flips. He was giving it a bit of extra help to make some truly amazing and somewhat impossible acrobatics. The boy was mesmerized, Cara just rolled her eyes.

Finally John emerged from the examination room with his arm in a cast and a sling, carrying a little bag which appeared to have some medications in it.

"Okay, now can we go home," John said.

"John!" Cara exclaimed then gently woke up Charlotte. Russell quickly pocketed the coin.

"Hey, buddy," Russell greeted him.

Charlotte sat up yawning and rubbing her eyes. Once she was awake enough to register what was going on, she smiled and ran to John.

"Easy there, kid," John told her as he gave her half a hug. "Still in some pain here."

"Sorry," Charlotte said apologetically moving away from him. "I'm just so happy you're okay ... you are okay, right?"

"Yes, Charlie," John responded. "I'll be fine. Just have to take it extra easy for a few days then come back in six weeks to get the cast removed."

"What's in the bag?" Cara asked as she also took the opportunity to give him a gentle hug.

"Just some extra medication needed because of what I've been through," John explained, "but it will be fine."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, the doctor said it was a good thing I came in when I did," John continued reluctantly, "or it could have been much worse."

Cara just gave him a knowing look.

"Yeah, yeah," John responded. "Let's go home."

**xxx THE END xxx**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Well that was quite a challenge, literally and figuratively. This was my first attempt at a multi-chapter continuing story. Wasn't able to update it as often as I would have liked, but hope those who have stuck with it, enjoyed it. Thank you for reading and please check out my other stories.


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